


Ineffable

by Minty_Moon



Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Biblical Themes (Abrahamic Religions), Cuddling & Snuggling, Hurt/Comfort, Ineffable Husbands (Good Omens), M/M, god i love them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:27:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23180926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Minty_Moon/pseuds/Minty_Moon
Summary: Crowley shows up at Aziraphale's doorstep drenched from the rain and an emotional mess. Aziraphale is here to get him through it.------------------------------short little oneshot
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Kudos: 33





	Ineffable

Every angel knew how Raphael had fallen. The beautiful angel whose hands were so skilled in creating gorgeous galaxies and stars even the celestial beings had to stop and gaze at every now and then, asked too many questions he didn’t need to know. Stuck his nose in business he didn’t need to see. When Lucifer struck up his disagreements with God, Raphael had been a follower and cast from Heaven when the anti-angels, now known as demons, lost the first battle. 

Many of the higher power angels-turned-demons had shown themselves after being cast but Raphael hadn’t shown his face in hundreds of years. It was a surprise to see the once divine winged creature, a serpent slithering through the undergrowth of Eden. 

It was more of a surprise to Aziraphale when the large black and red serpent slithering beneath his feet and transformed back into the form of the angel he’d once known, white ropes and feathers now replaced with inky black. The once green eyes replaced with those of a snake and well groomed hair replaced with a curly red mat. He also couldn’t help but notice the tattoo of a snake embedded on the side of his face. 

Aziraphale had torn his awestruck gaze away from the demon’s face and to the two humans stumbling out of the garden. The words he had spoken shocked him. Aziraphale had always known Raphael to speak elegantly but instead he’d spoken in an unbothered, slightly annoyed way and in words Aziraphale had pretended to understand. He had also been shocked when Raphael mentioned not understanding how knowing the difference between good and evil could be bad. It had sparked a thought Aziraphale had fearfully pushed away. And that was the first day he’d spoken to Raphael in centuries. And it was the first day he’d spoken to Crawley. 

Since the beginning of time and the first sin, Aziraphale and Crawley which changed to Crowley, had kept seeing each other on Earth. They had grown friends and become thankful for each other. Aziraphale liked to say he gave hope to Crowley and Crowley made him think. 

Now, sat in a rocking chair by the window in his quaint little bookshop, Aziraphale couldn’t stop his brain from going over the past. The more he thought, the more questions about his friend arose. How did Crowley _really_ fall? What did he want Holy Water for? Why was Crowley so quick to defend humans but never demons or angels? What made an angel like Raphael, abandon a position like his? 

The rain beat the window heavily. It had been almost two months since Aziraphale had last seen Crowley or they’d spoken. It wasn’t unusual for Crowley to disappear for centuries on end but this time it was strange. Crowley had begun creating a life here in the 21st century. He had a place, a park he visited, a car. It made him uneasy. 

A knock pounded at the shop door suddenly. It made Aziraphale jump and drop his book. “We-we’re closed!” He called loudly from the back. 

“Come on, Angel! It’s me Crowley and I’m soaked!”  
Crowley’s voice sounded from behind the door. “Speak of the devil.” Aziraphale said and then laughed quietly at the little pun he’d accidentally made. 

When he opened the door, Aziraphale let out a little gasp at the state of Crowley. His suit jacket had obviously been carelessly put on and his tie was practically falling off. His sunglasses were missing an eye and his- well his hair had been cut off! 

Aziraphale quickly hurried him inside and stared at him blankly. “What?” Crowley barked out. “Can you get me a towel?”

He arched his eyebrow at the demon who stood dripping water on the wooden floor. Can’t he just miracle the water away? Crowley sighed and reached up to brush hair away only to hit air and quickly put his hand down. 

“Too tired for that and I also am in the business of hiding from certain demons at the moment. Miracles would just let them know where I am.” 

“Well I-” 

“It’s alright, ‘Zira. A towel will work.” 

Aziraphale fumbled through the bathroom closet. He had fancied himself with human actions like showering a few times and he was _sure_ there was still a towel somewhere around here. “Aha!” 

He pulled out a fluffy white towel and turned down the hall to hand it to Crowley. When he came back to the entrance to the bookshop, Crowley stood in the same spot looking utterly miserable and drenched. 

He pointed him toward the bathroom in the back and handed him the clothes he always kept in case there was someone who happened to need them. He reappeared after Aziraphale had made two cups of cocoa in his angel mugs. Crowley draped himself over his couch and frowned at the cocoa that had been placed on the table in front of him. “Angel wings? Really?” He laughed. 

Aziraphale smiled but quickly brushed it away. “What happened to your hair?” He asked as he took a sip of the chocolate drink. 

Crowley averted his gaze and started up at the ceiling. “Needed a change I guess.” 

Now that he looked closely, the haircut had obviously been by Crowley and hastily done or as if his hands had been shaking when it had been done. There were little parts that were longer than others or hadn’t been cut properly.  
“Well, it looks good on you.” 

Crowley turned to look at him and a ghost of a smile came over his lips. “Thanks, angel.” 

“Could I fix it? You missed some parts.” 

“Ehh,” Crowley mumbled incoherently. “Why not.” 

They both stood and headed for the bathroom where hair wouldn’t be scattered across the wooden floor. As Aziraphale grabbed the scissors from the cabinet behind the mirror he noticed the sun glasses again. They were beyond fixing without some divine intervention. He’d miracle them back together when he had the chance. 

Crowley sat on the tiled floor after Aziraphale sat on the lid of the toilet so he could reach the taller being’s head. He quickly snipped the stray hairs from Crowley’s head and evened out the already cut edges. It was almost reminiscent of the haircut Crowley’d had in the 50s without the goofy mustache and this time the sides had been shaved. 

Aziraphale ran his fingers through the demon’s hair and began cutting it shorter. When he finished he noticed he’d been too engulfed in what he was doing to notice the tears running down Crowley’s face. 

“Crowley!” Aziraphale gasped. “Are you alright?” 

Crowley snapped his eyes open and quickly covered his face. He rubbed his eyes but it made more tears trickle down. “Y-yeah, Angel I’m alright.” 

“No, Crowley you’re _crying_. And your glasses have been smashed and you’re hiding from your demon friends and-” 

“They aren’t my _friends_.” Crowley hissed. 

“Colleagues then but Crowley,” Aziraphale searched Crowley’s face for some sign of what was wrong. “What’s wrong?” 

“Do you remember, after I delivered the Antichrist to the nuns?” 

“Yes but, what does that have to do with this? With your hair..?” Aziraphale searched for answers. 

“I-I don’t want to lose you, Aziraphale.” 

Crowley cursed at the state of himself and Aziraphale was shocked at the use of his name. He’d always been “Zira” or “Angel”. 

“Oh oh, no remember that we said we’d prevent it?” 

“But how? You said it yourself at Eden, the Almighty’s plan is _ineffable_.” 

“We-we’ll,” Aziraphale paused and looked down at Crowley who was a sobbing mess. He’d never seen the demon like that before. It, well, it scared him. “We’ll make sure the boy never gets the-the hellhound was it? We’ll cancel each other out and he’ll turn out normal. Like you said.” 

“Are you sure?” 

Crowley’s voice was so quiet and delicate, unlike anything Aziraphale had heard in a millennium. It was like how he used to speak when he was an angel. It reminded him of the times when he’d make new stars or galaxies he wasn’t particularly proud of and would ask Gabriel’s opinion on them. Back when he was a quiet, foolish angel. 

“ _Yes_ , I’ll make sure of it, Crowley.” 

Crowley leaned his head against Aziraphale’s leg with a pitiful sigh. “You know I used to be Raphael, right?” 

Aziraphale, instead of nodding, sat down on the floor and allowed Crowley to rest his head on his shoulder. “I told them we should wait for Armageddon,” He dug his face into his shoulder. “They said that they should have never trusted me, that I was still _Raphael_.” 

He could tell Crowley was crying again, he could feel the tears seeping through his coat jacket but he couldn’t bring himself to care. “What’s wrong with that?” 

“Everything!” He cried sadly. 

“I was _foolish_! I didn’t want to fall, I hung out with the wrong people. After Lucifer’s first disagreement with God, they kept it secret and when I started asking questions Gabriel wouldn’t tell me anything! Refused to let me speak to the Almighty. Lucifer got me to listen to him instead. We all know how he was, charming people left and right with his singing.” 

Aziraphale swallowed heavily. Yes, he very much knew how convincing Lucifer could be. Everyone trusted him and he used that to his advantage. 

“Then the day came, the War in Heaven. I was scared, I’d never seen swords or heavenly beasts used for battle. I was created to protect and create beautiful things for the Almighty’s creations. So I hid and when the battle was won and they were leaving, Lucifer spoke to me one last time. Told me how I’d never have to hide again and how I could still create and I’d always get answers. It seemed so promising. But now- now I feel as if ever since that day I’ve been hiding, I haven’t created a single beautiful thing, _I can’t anymore_. I have more questions now then the day I had them for the Almighty.” 

Aziraphale pulled Crowley into a tight hug. He couldn’t imagine what it must have been like, to be so afraid. Aziraphale hadn’t fought either he’d just provided swords and saddles to the heavenly beasts for them. He had been scared but he’d always trusted the Almighty. It made his heart hurt hearing Crowley’s story and feel his divine body shake against his. 

“I needed to get rid of my hair. I’m not an angel anymore, I’m not even close. I’m a _demon_ now and I-I needed to get rid of the last thing that made me weak.”

“You aren’t weak, Crowley. You never were.” Aziraphale whispered. 

“The stars and galaxies you created were the most beautiful things we’d ever seen. You put so much heart into your creations. You protected the other beings God created and the heavenly beasts. All of the plants you protected, I know I was just a lower angel then but had I known I would have protected you from the war.” 

Aziraphale placed his head atop Crowley’s and listened to his breathing. “And I’ll protect you now, Crowley.” 

Crowley sighed heavily against him, as if he was tired. “Maybe,” Aziraphale began. “The Almighty’s plan isn’t how we think it is. Maybe we-we’re ineffable too.” 

Crowley laughed softly, “Ineffable.” He said softly. “I like that.”

**Author's Note:**

> For my friend, hope you all enjoy.


End file.
